[Public Opinion Brief 38-2] Polarization of Koreans' Perceptions of Welfare

[Public Opinion Brief No. 38] Global Spread of Recognition of Government Responsibility for Welfare

[Issue 1] Social Consensus on Government Responsibility for Welfare Spreading Globally

[Issue 2] Korean Society Agrees on Government Responsibility for Welfare, but Opinions on Government Welfare Policies are Polarized

[Discussion] Evaluation of Government Welfare Activities in Basic Livelihood, Healthcare, and Education

Issue 2. Korean Society Agrees on Government Responsibility for Welfare, but Opinions on Government Welfare Policies are Polarized

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Similarly, 91% of Koreans perceive it as the government's role to provide basic livelihood, basic healthcare, and minimal educational opportunities. Regarding basic livelihood, 85% responded that it is the government's responsibility, and 93% stated it is the government's responsibility for basic healthcare security. A significant 95% agreed that providing minimal educational opportunities is the government's responsibility. On average, 91% of Koreans agree with the perception that the government has an obligation to provide basic welfare, indicating a strong societal consensus in South Korea regarding government intervention for welfare.

However, opinions are divided on how well the current administration is ensuring welfare in each sector. Responses indicating that the provision of basic livelihood is being well-executed were 43%, and for basic healthcare, 45% responded positively, slightly below a majority. For the task of providing educational opportunities, over half, 54%, rated it as well-executed. Averaging across the three sectors, approximately half, 48%, of the public positively evaluated the current administration's welfare activities, while the remaining half showed negative or indifferent attitudes.

[Figure 1] Perception of Government Responsibility and Evaluation of Government Welfare Provision by Three Major Welfare Sectors (%)

Source: WPO · EAI East Asia Institute · Kyunghyang Shinmun (2008)

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The societal consensus that the government should be responsible for welfare is confirmed by the lack of significant differences based on party affiliation or ideological orientation. The proportion of supporters of the progressive Democratic Party and the Democratic Labor Party who believe the government should be responsible for welfare was 95% and 96%, respectively. Supporters of the conservative Grand National Party and the Liberty Forward Party also showed the same opinion at 88%. In terms of ideological orientation, 95% of those identifying as progressive emphasized government responsibility for welfare, while a remarkable 90% of those identifying as moderate or conservative held the same view, indicating near-unanimous agreement. When analyzed by generation and education level, while the proportion of agreement was relatively lower among older generations and those with middle school education or less compared to younger generations and those with higher education, generally over 80% in these groups also emphasized government responsibility for welfare.

[Figure 2] Differences in Perception of Government Responsibility for Welfare by Political, Ideological, and Socioeconomic Groups (%)

Source: WPO · EAI East Asia Institute · Kyunghyang Shinmun (2008)

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However, the overall evaluation of government welfare provision activities reveals significant differences based on political, ideological, and socioeconomic status. Firstly, by party affiliation, 64% of conservative Grand National Party supporters and 50% of Liberty Forward Party supporters positively evaluated the overall welfare policies of the Lee Myung-bak administration. Among unaffiliated voters or Democratic Party supporters, the proportion positively evaluating the government's welfare provision activities decreased to 42% and 42%, respectively, compared to supporters of the Grand National Party and the Liberty Forward Party. Among Democratic Labor Party supporters, this figure was even lower at 37%. The perception of government welfare activities also clearly contrasts by ideological orientation: 53% of conservative respondents evaluated the government's welfare provision activities positively, while only 42% of progressive respondents did so. By age group, 64% of those aged 50 and over positively evaluated the government's welfare provision, while the figure was 39% for those in their 20s and 30s, and 42% for those in their 40s. Categorized by educational attainment, 63% of those with middle school education or less, 47% of high school graduates, and 46% of college graduates and above evaluated the government's welfare activities positively, showing a significant disparity. However, no significant differences were found based on income level.

An examination of Koreans' perceptions of welfare reveals a societal consensus that 'the government should be responsible for basic public welfare.' This signifies a considerable expansion of public demand for a welfare state, replacing the market-centric view that once held sway and trusted the market's regulatory capabilities. However, despite the societal consensus on the necessity of government intervention for welfare, the process of implementing government welfare policies is accompanied by considerable political and ideological conflict. Above all, the evaluation of actual policies and the government's welfare capabilities is influenced by party affiliation or ideological partisanship. This implies that objective evaluations of the government's welfare policies and direction are not being properly conducted, and that political and ideological biases are at play, suggesting a possibility of sustained emotional confrontation and conflict rather than rational discussion and compromise.

[Figure 3] Proportion of Positive Evaluation of Government Welfare Provision Activities by Political, Ideological, and Social Groups (%)

Source: WPO · EAI East Asia Institute · Kyunghyang Shinmun (2008)